Storage battery



May 5, l953 J. K. SHANNON 2,637,758

STORAGE BATTERY Filed Sept. 23, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET l lNVENTOR JOHN K. SHANNON.

AT1-0RA Ys 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 J. K. SHANNON STORAGE BATTERY zur.;

RNVENTOR JOHN K. SHANNON May 5, 1953 Filed sept. 2s, 1948 Patented May 5, 19553 UNITED STATESI PATENT OFFICE cerrarse STORAGE BATTERY .lohn K. Shanncn, Kenosha, Wis. Application September 23, 1948-, Serial o. 50,713

1 rI'his invention appertains to electric batteries, and more particularly to a simplified and inexpensive method of assembling storage batteries. One of the primary objects of my invention is to provide a novel method of constructing the battery, whereby not only will an inexpensive structure be had, but whereby a strong and durable battery can be built for resisting external strains and jars and so that shorts between cells Will be eliminated, or reduced to a minimum.

Another salient object of my invention is to provide ran improved individual cover for each cell cf the battery, having molded directly therein adjacent to each end and at the time of the forming thereof a lead insert or strap adapted to be engaged by the lugs of the battery plates, so that as the lugs are burned or melted down, the plates will be integrally connected with the straps and firmly joined to the cell covers.

A further object of my invention is to provide a terminal on the straps, Where an external post is to be provided, molded directly in the cell covers, so that the terminals cani serve as posts or whereby posts can be molded thereon, so that in effect, the plates, straps and terminals will be an integral structure strongly united with the cell covers.

A further impor-taht object of my invention is to provide means whereby the connectors or jumpers for the cells can be directly molded by burning or melting with the correct molded-in straps.

V A still further object of my invention is to pro4A vide wells or clams at the points of the molding-in oi' the straps, so that upon the melting down of i .v

tion is to provide a housingcoverplate for the battery case and cell covers, wherebya sealing vcompound can be poured in' andfover the cell covers and battery case partitions throughl'said cover plate, the sealing compound functioning lto hold the cover plate in position. 1

With these and otherobjects in view theinvenl tion consists in the novel construction, arrange-- -ment and formation of parts, as'w'ill be-hereinafter more specifically described and claimed and 5 claims. .Y (el. italics) villustrated in the accompanying drawings, in

which drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary, transverse, sectional view showing one preferred form of my improved storage battery prior to the burning down of the battery plate lugs.

, Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, but showing the battery in its complete form ready for use.

Figure 3 is a top plan View of my improved battery with parts thereof broken away and in sectionl Figure 4 is a fragmentary, longitudinal, sectional view through the battery, taken on the line 4 4 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate correspending parts throughout the several views, the letter B generally indicates my improved storage battery. The storage battery B includes a molded case 5 formed from non-electric conducting and acid resisting material. Integrally connected with the case are spaced parallel transverse partitions E, which divide the case into individual cell compartments or chambers l. The partitions vterminate slightly short of the extreme upper Athe desired number `of positive and negative plates 9 and Ill, spaced by the usual separators I I.v The lower edges of these plates can be supported on webs (not shown) formed on the bottorn wall of the case 5.

In accordance with my invention the ends of the battery plates 9 and the opposite ends of the fbattery plates -It have formed thereon upwardly projectinglugs l2.

The plates of like polarity are connected` together in a novel manner, as

`willbe later set forth.

A cell cover I3 is provided for each individual cell compartment or chamber l and these cell covers aremolded from the desired plastic material of the character which will be acid prooi". Naturally, also the'same will be of non-electric 'conducting material. Each' cell compartment be lowA the shoulders 3` are provided with shoulders M on which the covers l2 rest. The covers also have formed on' their ends depending flanges it,

which extend toward the sets of plates 9 and it, so as to prevent the upward riding of the separators li between the plates. In accordance with my invention, I mold directly in the covers adjacent to their opposite ends lead or similar straps it. By molding the straps directly in the covers, the straps are held rmly in place and in effect 'form a part of the covers. Formed on the straps as an integral part thereof, are upstanding projections l1 and these projections l1 are also molded in the covers .and .these projections can be provided with annular grooyes 13g so that the material from which the covers are formed can flow therein. This will effectively anchor the projections in place. The projections il are formed on one side of those strapsthatiare below the terminal ends of the batteries .the projections can have formed directly thereonat the time of the making thereof.; .terminal posts it, or the projections can have molded lthereon by suitable post builders the terminal posts. The upper faces of the straps i6 are exposed and the covers i3 aroundthe straps are provided with sunken recesses or wells 23, whichA form dams for a purpose which will later appear.

The s it can take various shapes .and forms, buit it is essential that the same tbe :so molded that the straps will form a substantially integral part of the lugsy i2, when the same are burned or ineited down', as will also later appear.. it is not essential Jthat therebe strap l, :molded into the covers on the cover ends which 4do not have external terminals. The lugs of theplates may be melted down or burned to formthe lead shoulder or strap and this strapmaybe ibuiltrnp to the proper thickness by conventional means well iznown in the battery industry Atorstrength anc to carry the 'electricallcurrent "In .the covers carrying the terminals til, the .terminalsican he provided with portions extendinginto the '.wells 13S. rl-he lugs lf2 and the extended :portion :of the terminals can be burneddown'to iil'l the'zwell. The wells 2id will restrict the low of yleadso ythat the iead wiil not flow over the cover `1.3, .but wiil be dammed to iorm 'the shoulder or strap.

@ne form of the straps `iii has `been illustrated in the drawings and this form has'beenifoundthe best, so far devised. As iliustratedythe strapsare provided with eduidis'tantly .spaced parallel Islots and these slots register with similar 'slots 2,2 formed in the covers. These slots 2l vand 22 preerabiy widen out toward their .lower ends, v.

so as to facilitate the slipping of thefcovers zover the lugs i2, and the lues themselves have rounded upper terminals to facilitate their movement through the slots. Obviously, the straps `Iii-could be provided with iingers to v'engage between the melted down over the straps, see Figures 2,13 and fi, and the lugs after melting form a definite part of the straps. The terminal-.posts 1 9 project up through the covers and above the battery case 5. Piate-s of like polarity of the necessary cells are connected by jumpers 23, These jumpers eX- tend over the parti-tions li of the battery case. The jumpers can be burned on to the straps |'6 or, as preferred, the necessary straps-havefmolded irectly thereon laterally projecting ears 4are burned together.

.into .the battery case through these openings 26 funtil the entire .space between the individual cell ovrs^`l3 and the cover plate 2t' is filled. This vsealing compound effectively covers the straps, the

cell covers I3, jumpers 23 and partitions 6. The sealing compound also acts to hold the cover plate '4Q in position. 1t is obvious that sea-ling compound'may be poured around the edges of the cover, over-the straps in the saine manner as is the common practice currently used in the assembly of"batteries by battery manufacturers, without the addition of the lprotecting cover plate 24.

The wells l2li ,effectively act as a dam to receive thelead .upon the meltingr down of the batteryiplate llugs 12 and the jumpers 23 and these .wellsprevent the owing of the lead over the cell covers I3.

'From `the foregoing description, it can be seen that have provided anovel battery of a simple and 4rugged form, in .which the battery plates are `effectively united with their straps, which in turn Lform .an integral part of the cell'covers.

Variouschanges indetails may be made without Ldeparting from Vthe spirit or `the scope of this invention but what I yclaim as .new is,

il. In a storage battery, a case having a-cell compartment, :battery plates in said compartment l`having opstanding lugs, a cover for said compartment, said cover comprising a body having :a peripheral vskirt and lan interiorly hollow member providing a gas collection space rising above the level of said body centrally thereof, said hollow member having .a iiller opening formed therein, end portions of said `cover having laterally extending recesses located adjacent thefend edges of said cover, said recesses comprising wells having spaced slots extending .downwardly through said Acover to accept said lugs when the cover is placed in position, and a terminal member `molded into lsaid cover in said and ywith `the said portion of said .connector member.

A2. The structure of claim l in which said slots terminate downwardly in flaring enlargements serving Lto. guide said plate lugs therethrough.

The structure of claim 1 wherein a connectorstrap is molded'into said cell cover within 'the region of a said well, said connector strap having openings responding to and in communication with said slots, said connector strap being joined with the connector member of said terminal post, said lugs being burned down within said well into intimate engagement with said strap.

-'4.1The structure .claimed .in claim l wherein said slots terminate downwardly in haring engagements serving to guidey said plate lugs therethrough, said body .at its-ends having shouledepd, @.0 resi. uracil. abuiments in Said storage. battery ease 5. The structure claimed vin claim 1 wherein that portion of the connector member which lies in proximity to the slots comprises a transverse connector bar.

JOHN K. SHANNON.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,123,756 Kinney Jan. 15, 19'15 1,178,066 Gardiner Apr. 4, 1916 1,183,8'10 Gardiner May 16, 1916 1,324,426 Loudon Dec. 9, 1919 41,380,061 Hazelett May 31, 1921 Number Number 

